1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to soil dispersible and partially soluble chelated granular nutrient, water dispersible granular nutrient and to methods for making and using such granular nutrients. More particularly, the present invention relates to granules having such nutrients embedded within a saccharide binder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous tests and many years of experience of the agriculture industry of the United States have demonstrated the need for certain nutrients for plant growth. Some are more difficult than others to supply in a form which is easily taken up. In soil, there is the further problem of maintaining the nutrients in position over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,772 to Paul McCoy relates to granules having a crystallized saccharide with carboxylate (sucrates) of a nutrient embedded therein. This reference is hereby incorporated by reference. The method of this patent produces a granular nutrient but also produces dust in the process. Dust causes issues during the loading, unloading and the application process, traveling by air and coating cars, houses, furniture, etc. Furthermore, the resulting nutrient of this method has some issues regarding clumping and has a less-than-desirable shelf life.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,460 relates to the use of soil dispersible and water dispersible plant nutrient compounds in a granular form comprising nutrient particles selected from the group made up of metallic oxides, metallic sulphates, metallic oxysulphates and metallic oxysulphates placed within a water-soluble saccharide binder.
U.S. Pat. No. Reissue 32,909 relates to the use of metal oxycarboxylates as suppliers of metal nutrients to plants, animals and humans.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,906 relates to the use of various divalent and trivalent metals in organic carboxylate form as starting materials for the formulation of plant fertilizers.
Prior art nutrient compounds generally suffer from disadvantages in clumping and shelf life. Furthermore, dust created in the manufacturing process is undesirable.
Therefore, there is a need for granular nutrient products that retain the nutrient value of the prior art while providing an extended shelf life, making a harder granule thereby reducing clumping. There is a need to create a chelated sucrate nutrient to enhance water solubility. Furthermore, there is a need to reduce dust created during the handling process.